In Plain Sight
by Mist.Filled.Eyes
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha has been guarding diplomats for a long time,he has it down to a science.His most recent assignment:Gaara Sabaku.Threats are coming in and Sasuke has to keep running to keep the man safe. When his partner is taken,his past and present meet.
1. The Mark

"Here he comes." Sasuke Uchiha stared up at the approaching helicopter. "Our mark is going to be masquerading as one of SWAT members. I told the team that they had to pick whose place he took in the defense. Tony will be black-bagged and bulletproof and playing the criminal. We grab him."

Ino raised her voice over the whir of helicopter blades and Sasuke turned his head slightly to hear her. "Why? It's just a SWAT dressing down right?" Ino frowned and Sasuke nodded.

Ino Yamanaka had been his partner for a long time, she knew him inside and out and sometimes it still amazed him that she had yet to pick up any of his security measures. After guarding diplomats for so long, you hope you learn something. Sasuke had learned 13 languages, including sign language. The ability to hear, recognize and mimic accents from all over the world. Security measures against assassins from different training and countries. Every assassin had a style and Sasuke had learned how to determine what style each assassin had simply by the smallest thing. For example; their target.

Ino was an exemplary investigator. She was very good at finding and catching. If he recalled she spoke 7 languages and had at one time worked in the UN as a translator. She'd picked up on malice and evil intent in someones phrasing and successfully stopped an assassination. Sasuke had been sent to recruit her not long after.

Officially the duo had no set organization. They had badges from Secret Service, FBI, CIA and liased with organizations from around the globe. The badges they carried changed almost monthly.

"Yes but we convince everyone, including any potential hit men that this guard _is _in fact a high-ranking prisoner." Sasuke assumed the at-ease military stance as the wind began to pick up. Ino stepped behind him and tied her hair back to keep it out of her face. Long platinum blond hair that she was debating cutting short again. Sasuke didn't care either way, Ino was beautiful sure but not his type.

"Got it Sasuke. I'm going to do one last position check." She brought her wrist up and spoke into the mike wrapped around it. "Beta team call in by positon."

"Here and holding on point A boss."

"Here and holding on B."

"C is alive, bored and holding."

Sasuke scowled and tilted his head to speak against Ino's wrist. "Alpha team report."

"Holding on A, second position. Should I move back to first sir?"

Second position...mentally Sasuke darted through his planning. He was visible and of course his man was watching him for an answer. He nodded and released his scowl when he heard an affirmative response.

"Holding on B and you idiot why the hell were you in second position?"

"Holding on C and shut up!"

"Everyone shut up and focus, this cannot go wrong." Ino hissed. Sasuke rolled his eyes and brought his own wrist up. Being the guy in charge, he'd made sure to seem a lot more scary then he was.

"If anything goes wrong and our mark gets even grazed, you will all suffer. I will see to it personally." Sasuke dropped his hand back behind his back.

The helicopter landed and Sasuke pushed his sunglasses up to keep the wind out of his eyes. The door slid up and the SWAT teams disembarked. Sasuke and Ino rushed forward and took an arm of the the 'prisoner' and quickly pulled the man into a tight ring of heavily armed guards. One of whom was a high-ranking diplomat here on a peace mission, that was their mark.

The term made it sound like they were the assassins but calling them mark made it easier for Sasuke to stay detached. If he didn't care then in the event that he failed it didn't hurt.

The team began moving forward quickly and Sasuke kept one hand pressing the prisoners head down. He would normally have a quick, joking chat with Tony but right now anyone could be watching and waiting. Sasuke doubted anyone would attack, not to be arrogant, but because he was there it was unlikely.

Sasuke had made quite the name for himself in the business. Assassins didn't like him because more often then not he catches them. In illegal circles people often called him the Bounty Hunter. Sure he got paid well for his services but he was hardly a bounty hunter. He just happened to be extremely good at his job.

Two taps on his right shoulder. Sasuke turned his head and a SWAT member pointed to two people following them. He passed the prisoner completely off to Ino. "Get him inside I'll handle these guys." Sasuke broke away from the group. Tuning out everything he could make out the two talking with Suna accents. "Name and ID please."

"Temari and Kankuro Sabaku. We're here from Suna for the Kazekage's speech and looking for the entrance." They brought out their ID cards and Sasuke nodded. He pointed to each respective entrance and told them about the security they'd face in a quick summary.

Once he saw them walk in he disappeared through a security entrance, making sure to close the door behind him. A quick wave of his id through the scanner and the security guard, who had been getting up, sat back down.

As he made his way down the halls he clicked on his radio and heard the comforting sound of static in his ear. No gunfire - until a deafening crack sent him sprawling against the wall and ripping out his earpiece. Gunfire, and from the sound it was close and semi-automatic. Damn that hurt. Sasuke ignored it. He couldn't focus on himself right now, his team was in trouble.

"Ino!" He barked into the radio.

"Sasuke I can't talk right now." She didn't sound good and Sasuke could make out the sounds of her gun firing.

"What's happening?" He broke into a run. By now they should have made it to the courtyard where the Beta team should have picked them up. He grabbed onto a corner and his shoes squeaked and he skidded around the corner. He ran through a few corridors before the gunfire in his ear stopped. He heard a door bang open and slam closed. Did they make it into the safe room?

"Alright we're inside." Ino sighed. "Is everyone alright?" She wasn't talking to him anymore and Sasuke could hear two people groaning and a females voice telling everyone it's okay.

"What happened?" Sasuke arrived at the courtyard and saw his teams diving into the safe room. "Ino I'm coming in, don't shoot me." He threw the door open and shut it behind him just as fast.

Immediately he assessed the situation. Three people were missing. Tony and two SWAT. The rest of the team was all taking off their gear and reclining against walls or laying down on benches. Sasuke saw the medics bag open on the table and his gaze hunted for his partner. He found leaning against a wall with her vest and shirt off.

"We were attacked. Tony got hit and a few bullets hit a SWAT member. Neither are doing all that well, but the doctors says that it's really up to them whether they survive or not so I suspect they'll both be fine." Ino hissed slightly and it was only then that Sasuke realized he'd completely missed Carlie. Carlie was the teams medic and she was currently sitting on the bench stitching up Ino's side.

"Our mark? Did the mark survive?"

"Yes. He got a graze on his right side and a bullet in his left arm. Luckily it was a through and through and he can't feel it yet. Carlie already offered him something for the pain but he refused."

Sasuke threw his radio on the table and gently shooed Carlie, taking up the stitching himself. "You said one SWAT and Tony. Not one SWAT, Tony, you and the mark." Sasuke gave a reproving look and Ino stuck her tongue out. "Yes I know what you're going to say. 'It was just a graze Sasuke, I'm fine.' I won't tolerate failure and getting shot is just that. Don't do it again. Now where's the mark?"

"He's getting changed, he has a speech right after you clear him. " Ino motioned towards the back room.

Sasuke finished stitching then walked to the back room. He knocked softly then walked in. "Sir? My name is Sasuke Uchiha I'm the agent in charge of your security detail."

"I've heard." Sasuke's eyes snapped to the man sitting on the table carefully cleaning off his side. He recognized that voice from press conferences.

"Gaa--Kazekage-dono." He smiled. The red head was someone he admired quite a bit. He'd done a lot of good for his country and had been instrumental in resolving the war that had been going on the Rock country. Sasuke had been following that extensively, seeing as Ino had been posted in that country as one of the sniper teams leaders and, of course, defense of diplomats.

Ino would have only been home in another 18 months had it not been for Gaara's efforts to stop the war. Sasuke had actually contemplated sending in a letter of thanks but he figured that the man's office would be flooded enough with letters. Ino and he however had lit a candle for him while they were at the church saying their prayers for all the good men Ino saw go down.

The Kazkage smiled back. "Hello Sasuke, I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things?" Sasuke really hoped none of the bad stuff had made it to the man.

"Most of the time." The Kazekage chuckled softly. "I take it you're here to check me out, then send me on my way."

"Yes sir. I will also be the man in charge of all your security so if you need anything I am the person you consult. Also I would appreciate it if you could give me a detailed copy of your schedule." Sasuke lifted Gaara's good arm and tentatively prodded the area around the graze on the Kazekage's side. Gaara didn't react and Sasuke put a bandage over it, deeming it clear. He moved to Gaara's arm and decided it required stitching.

"I'm going to stitch this up, wrap it then you can go. In the meantime call your assistant and get me that schedule." Sasuke dug around in the first aid kit and moved to prepare a needle.

"No, I don't want any drugs. Just stitch it please." Gaara was dialing as he spoke.

"You sure?" Gaara nodded and Sasuke shrugged and started stitching.

_Good god. I'm in charge of protecting the Kazekage, the man with the single most assassination attempts for his country._

Sasuke suppressed a groan.

_This is not going to be easy._


	2. Sasuke's Law

Someone was shaking him_. Don't move, pretend to be sleep and pray that they go away. Sasuke kept his eyes closed. The shaking got worse and he decided that he obviously wasn't getting any more sleep. Get up and move._

_Something cold touched the skin under his shirt. Sasuke didn't quite want to react but he knew that if he didn't react it would turn out badly._

_"Get off me!" He barked and threw a right hook. In return his 'guard' slammed his wrist on the bench - breaking it instantly. Sasuke hissed but kept fighting. Their struggle tore up a good part of his cell before a voice started yelling for the guard. Sasuke thanked whatever god was listening when the barred door slammed shut behind his day guard._

_Night had fell and his lifeline was here._

_"_Sasuke?_"_ _Sasuke didn't know the name of the man with the purple face-paint but every night he'd come by and help the convict stitch up his wounds. The last Uchiha was forever grateful. Sasuke didn't react when alcohol was poured then rubbed into his wound, he'd grown accustomed to pain._

_"He do anything else?" The gruff voice asked him. Sasuke shook his head but looked away, that damn guard had been using alternative means to wake him up recently. A gun on his stomach, a knife to his throat. None of it ended well for prisoner 6613._

"Sasuke wake up."

Sasuke jolted up with a harsh gasp. His throat hurt, but he assumed that meant he'd been muffling screams in his sleep.

Ino was kneeling by his head and Sasuke cleared his throat. Her hair was tousled, she'd just woken up herself. They were sharing a hotel room and he'd given her the bed. This couch was incredibly comfortable though. Suede he guessed. Much better then a cot in a jail cell.

Ino was giving him a pitying look and Sasuke looked away. He couldn't face her right then, there was to much darkness swimming around him right now. He didn't want Ino to see. Nobody could ever know what he'd done, what had happened while he was imprisoned.

"Another nightmare?" She raised an eyebrow and he nodded slightly before getting up and moving to take a shower. He had to leave the situation before Ino could inquire as to what he dreamt about. She could never know, if she knew she was vulnerable.

Death row was a horrible place. One hall, 4 cells filled with the 4 worst men in the country at the time. Sasuke had been in the first cell, only at that time his name wasn't Sasuke. At the time it was Prisoner 6613. 4 numbers that defined who he was, how much freedom he had. Freedom. At the end of his two years there freedom had seemed like a foreign concept. For him freedom was the 60 minutes he had to try and play a better mind game then his guard.

Sasuke splashed some water on his face. His current mark had been told mostly good stuff, but what bad stuff had he heard? That he was on death row? Why he was there? What happened while he was there? He prayed not. Some of the shit that had happened while he was a illegitimate prisoner was bad enough to ruin him.

"Stop it." He grumbled to himself, no point reliving all that. His nightmares were vicious enough, he didn't have to attack himself anymore. Sasuke grabbed a quick shower, not bothering to stop the water when he got out. He pulled his pants on then opened the door and let Ino walk in.

"Eyes closed." She instructed and Sasuke turned and covered his eyes. He could hear Ino strip then slide into the shower. They had a routine established by now, he'd shower while she ate breakfast. Then they'd switch. He'd eat and she'd shower.

Sasuke pulled his shirt on and walked to the kitchen as he did the buttons up. Sasuke bit his lip, today was his official first day as Gaara's chief of security. Today Gaara was taking the day off, he had sent Sasuke his day planner and for today it was all empty.

Which means they'd be hanging out at the hotel all day. Sasuke didn't have a single protest, it was a good chance to relax and get a feel for how hard it would be to guard Gaara.

"Ino! We gotta go!" He called to his blond partner. She appeared beside him, dressed and her hair was styled to perfection.

"Morning Sasuke." She kissed his cheek, and Sasuke could tell she was pretending that she never woke him up this morning. Thank god for her, some people tried to 'talk' with him about his nightmares. It never did any good for his relationships when he told a girlfriend that his nightmares were none of her business. He'd stopped dating a while ago, his scars ran too deep for him to succeed in trusting anyone completely and the women he was with always knew he was hiding parts of himself from them.

"Morning Ino." He turned and locked the door on his way out. They drove to Gaara's hotel - which would shortly become their hotel as well. They waved to the different agents they recognized as they went to the elevator. Sasuke stopped when he saw Lee. Gaara's head of security, the man Sasuke was replacing. Rumor had it that Gaara and Lee had gotten into a fight bad enough for Gaara to want the man gone, but Sasuke never believe the rumors.

"Lee!" He called and the green jumpsuit wearing man bounded over.

"Sasuke Uchiha! You look like your positively brimming with power." Lee cried in his too-loud too dramatic voice.

"Yes, I am. Perhaps we should spar it out of me later on?" He offered with a smirk and dodged Lee's hand as it came up into his nice guy thumbs-up pose.

"Definitely! I will beat you today!" Lee exclaimed and Sasuke laughed and clapped his shoulder. The last Uchiha jogged and caught up with Ino. Oddly enough, even after his nightmare, today was starting out good. Ino leaned against him in the elevator, Sasuke chuckled she was always sleepy in the morning.

"Goddamn you, keep away from me!" Sasuke and Ino straightened then ran into Gaara's hotel as soon as the doors were finished opening. Sasuke threw the door open and pulled his gun at the same time.

"Kazekage-sama are you alright?" Ino barked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Gaara walked out of a bedroom with his phone in his hand. Sasuke frowned.

"Who were you on the phone with?"

"None of your business."

Sasuke put his gun away and started shaking his head. "See, that stops now. Kazekage or not, every single one of your problems just became mine. I get told everything. Sorry Ino but I don't care if he tells you or not. I'm in charge, your threats are my threats. Clear?"

Then what Sasuke said dawned on him.

"Holy crap. I'm so sorry Kazekage-dono. That was a huge mistake on my part." His apologies were rushed. First day on the job, first thing he says and it's an attack on the Kazekage of Suna. He could feel Ino's glare pinned on the back of his head. "Sir, I really do apologize."

"By god you're good." Gaara chuckled. "If I was anyone else in the world I might believe you were really sorry." Sasuke's head dropped, Ino was going to kill him painfully. Piss off the boss on the first day, another strike on his notorious list. "However you're right. I apologize. You are my new guard and I suppose shutting you off of any potential problems isn't the wisest decision."

Gaara put a hand on his shoulder and Sasuke stopped himself from jumping.

"Sir?" Ino sounded confused. She was expecting Sasuke to get the best verbal ass-kicking of his life and now that it wasn't happening she was as confused as Sasuke was.

"I was on the phone with an ex." Gaara shrugged. "Nothing important. Lee understood it was no one who would try to kill me. I hope you'll do the same?..."

"Depends. Can I meet with her? Get a bit of an idea on her mental state?" Ino asked. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Sure enough Gaara's eyes flicked to the clock and his body language read a slight amount of discomfort.

"Ino, one of us needs to go and get the briefing from Lee." He shot her a look. Ino nodded and turned to walk out. One of their unwritten rules was that uncomfortable questions for guys were asked by Sasuke, uncomfortable questions for girls were asked by Sasuke. Ino wasn't good at compassion.

"I'll be back and when I am, Sasuke, you and I need to go over Kazekage-sama's schedule." She smiled and strolled out.

"Fire away." Gaara sat down and reclined into the sofa. Sasuke didn't reply, just raised one eyebrow. "You sent away the partner because you wanted to ask me something. Ask away."

Sasuke sighed and sat across from the red haired man. "Don't freak out on me. I don't actually care but I need to know. The ex. It's not a she is it? You're gay."

Sasuke was used to adverse reactions from men, weeping from women, but he wasn't used to politicians. Gaara took a deep breath but didn't outwardly react at all.

"If this ever leaks then I'll deny it, I'll destroy you to be blunt. The man on the phone was named Jerome. He was a good man, but he believed that my bed was his right. A funny if unfortunate belief. I made the deal with Jerome to not change my number if he remained silent. Nowadays he gets off on calling me at random times of days and annoying me." Gaara leaned his head onto his fist and shut his eyes.

"I get it." Sasuke nodded. "Why do you insist on handling Jerome yourself, why not let me just get a gag order and be done with it." Sasuke asked. From his experience most people disliked dealing with their ex-lovers. Hell most people didn't like _thinking _about them. But then again as he studied his new mark Sasuke figured Gaara would be the one to throw him for a loop.

"I insist on handling it myself because it's not something I exactly want broadcasted. My own family has no idea, the only people who ever find out is my head of security - if they can figure it out for themselves." Gaara shrugged. "You're the first one however who figured out my secret on the first day. Though I usually don't get caught on the phone." Gaara scowled softly and Sasuke chuckled.

"Not used to a good plan going awry?" Sasuke joked and Gaara smiled at him. Damn, Sasuke checked the clock, it should be illegal to look that tempting. The way that the Kazekage's smile lit up his face and made his almost cruel looking eyes sparkle was way to distracting for Sasuke's taste. All that topped off with his sleep-mussed hair made an all too delicious picture.

"In any event you'll leave Jerome to me?" Gaara quirked an eyebrow and Sasuke nodded.

"However I want your word that if he makes a single threat, I'm the second to know." Sasuke succeeded in grasping a grudging promise from the politician. "To assuage my own curiosity I have to ask. You're the Kazekage of Suna, you seem to be a confident, well-adjusted guy. How the fuck did you end up with someone like Jerome?"

Gaara laughed. "Oh it's a long story. It's not exactly as though he introduced himself as controlling and obsessive. When I first met him he was a wonderfully witty and exciting man. However when I told him that I had to come here to the United Nations he threatened me, told me that I couldn't leave because he said so and struck me. I don't take well to people trying to beat me into submission. I left him and left the country."

_What a stupid son of a bitch, I've been in the room with him for a half-hour and I can tell that hitting him would only make him run. _Sasuke nodded. Men like Jerome set a horrible standard for others. Sasuke had a nasty habit of being the one to really fuck up the lives of men who hit their significant other.

"Well that was smart."

"Besides the obvious reasons, why do you think?"

"Because I would've shot him." Sasuke smiled innocently and the red head outright laughed. In the back of his mind Sasuke wondered if the Kazekage was aware of just how serious he was and that Jerome would be a nut-less wonder if he ever tried to hurt the laughing man again.

"Sasuke? Sir?" Ino stuck her head in and guessed the serious discussion was over based on the smirk on Sasuke's lips. She strolled over and sat down beside Sasuke. "So tomorrow we have to basically shadow Kazekage-sama at a gala and that's it."

Galas. One of the many security nightmares of the political world. Crowds of people, drinks galore, and usually held in a big room with a lot of windows. Sasuke scowled. Anyone in those crowds of people could be an assassin. Drinks could be drugged and a rookie sniper could drop his target easily. That target could potentially be Sasuke's mark. Too many people had access and too many people too be screened in time.

"Call Shikamaru, ask him to get a copy of the guest list, including staff, and guard. Tell him I want the fastest background check he's ever done. I will call Lee and ask him how he would normally do a gala. I don't want to change your security quite yet, and Lee has kept you alive so far." Sasuke tugged out his cell.

"Usually he would throw a damn suit on and simply accompany me. We'd tell everyone that he was my PA. His team would rotate in shifts around the grounds and coordinate with the other political protection squads to stay the hell out of everyone's way. Keep in mind that everyone there is a big person in my world. Everyone has protection and everyone has a 'PA' there. I should be fine and no sniper could get me because I have my sand." Gaara explained.

"Pardon me." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Should the Kazekage know his own protection detail that well?

"Please don't make me repeat myself." Gaara smiled warily, ah so he shouldn't know it that well. "I just don't want you to waste time calling Lee and bothering him. He'll be busy with his new assignment."

"Which is what?" Sasuke quizzed. Gaara should not know where Lee is now. Sasuke didn't even know. When you worked political protection you didn't even tell your team your new assignment until the day of. It was just safer that way. If the red head could answer then he was closer with Lee then he was letting on, either that or there was a rather interesting story behind why the Kazekage was actually changing his security detail.

"Oh some--one. I'm not sure." Sasuke saw Ino's eyes narrow. The girl was a natural lie detector and she never got it wrong. Gaara was lying through his teeth when he said he didn't know. He shrugged it off. Whatever arrangement Gaara had going with Lee wouldn't fly with him. Sasuke had to be the best, and the best couldn't break rules. They did the best within their boundaries.

"Hm, Ino do you want to---never mind. I'll go." Ino was giving him the most threatening look he'd ever seen. He knew she hated anything with lots of people. She liked secure situations where the danger of her getting hit on was minimal. Galas were exactly the opposite. It was hard not to notice Ino, especially when she dressed up. She used to love the attention she got from the men but then she matured and decided men suck. Sasuke couldn't agree more and being a guy that said a lot.

"Go get a suit, I'll stay with him. Look nice!" She ran a hand through his hair and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hey give me a hand here, my hair looks fine right?" Sasuke looked over at Gaara.

"Oh I'm not touching this one with a 20 foot pole. Have fun though." Gaara put his hands up when the platinum blond turned her glare on him. Sasuke shrugged and walked out. Hotels this fancy often had a boutique or something akin to it for suits and crap. Thank god. Sasuke didn't think he owned many suits. Most of the time just a button-down shirt and vest was his version of dressing up.

"Hey." He strolled in and a man walked up to him.

"The gala tomorrow night?" He asked and Sasuke nodded as he stepped up onto the stores little platform. He informed the man that all he wanted a black suit that wouldn't drive him crazy.

The man pulled out a tape measure and set to work. Sasuke ignored it, he always hated people touching him but he could say much to this guy. Don't ever be mean to the man making your suit. It's dangerous. One of Sasuke's marks had been a royal prick and the woman making his suit put itching power into every piece of fabric. Sasuke thought it was hilarious. The mark did not. Luckily the woman had only been passing through and escaped the country before his mark could catch her.

It had taken every inch of Sasuke's iron-hard self-control to not laugh out loud at the man.

Sasuke also ignored the 3 giggling women at the front of the store. He was used to the stares, used to the murmurs but he never did get used to the giggling. It was like the school yard all over again. It got worse when he was guarding women, because then they touched him. His mark would run a hand down his arm, or pat his chest and it would take all of Sasuke's will-power not to brush her off. Evidently they disliked it when he did that.

Absently he realized that he had never guarded a gay guy before. He doubted Gaara would make a fool of them both, especially because of the threats he'd given out when Sasuke figured out his secret. Sasuke wasn't all that partial to either sex. Bi, he supposed was the term used to describe him. He had standards though and one of which was that you don't ever get involved with a mark. So as hot as Gaara was, he was off-limits.

The man finished measuring and stood. "Your suit will be ready before the gala. Come back an hour or so before." He instructed before disappearing behind the counter. Sasuke paid and checked the time. Damn, he'd been here an hour. Ino would kill him. He sighed as he went back up to the suite.

He opened the door quietly and walked in on Gaara mid stretch. Horrible move. Gaara's shirt rode up his stomach and showed the way his back arched. Sasuke turned his back for a second then realized that that didn't look too smooth. So he leaned his head back out into the hall and checked the hall. Somewhat better and from there he could make a billion excuses.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Gaara asked as he poured a drink. Sasuke got a glass from the cabinet and put it down. Gaara switched and began pouring for Sasuke.

_Alright. Admit it. You think Gaara's hot. But off-limits, definitely off-limits! _Sasuke tuned out the voice in the back of his head that smirked out a response; _And?_

Sasuke took a sip of the drink, wishing it was something much stronger.

"I was being a idiot." _Literally. _"I thought someone called my name and as it turns it was the damn air calling me. Brilliant ne?" He took another sip and Gaara just barely bit down a comment. Sasuke could practically feel the sarcasm itching to bite.

"Ino gathered your team in my bedroom so I'm trapped out her for a minute, if you want to join them?" Gaara offered and Sasuke nodded and went to the bedroom.

"How many people have heard of Murphy's law?" Ino was asking.

"'Anything that can go wrong, will.'" Someone quoted.

"Well here's Sasuke's law," Sasuke barked as he walked in, "anything that can go wrong, will, and you better plan accordingly." Sasuke finished with a smile. "In the event that the gala is forced outside, have a plan. In the event that Gaara is injured, have a plan - though it better not happen or I'll murder the idiot who let it happen. In the event that the goddamn devil rises up, have a plan!"

Sasuke sat down on the bed among his peers. "Any questions, but give me sec. I've never talked that much, I'm out of breath." He flopped backwards onto the bed and his team laughed at him. He never said that much to anyone. Too much work.

"So I'm going to a gala." Sasuke sighed and Ino chuckled and patted his arm.

"Poor you."

"Damn right, there will be chicks there. They'll make guarding Gaara a nightmare. Damn women." He grumbled and every guy in the room laughed until they fell off the bed.

"You take your job too seriously Sasuke-san, women make the job fun! Something to look at while you are supposed to be looking at your mark."

"If you are actually going to do that, I'll cut your nuts off." Sasuke threatened. All males balked. Sasuke was the one man who could make that threat and keep it.

"No sir. Definitely not." They all amended. Sasuke kept his serious face until he saw sweat break on their foreheads then laughed.

"By god you all are serious." He laughed.


	3. The Letter

**A/N: **I'm super sorry about how short this chapter is! I just couldn't think of anything to make it longer. The next chapter is much longer, I need to introduce two very important people and expand on Ino a bit.

Without further ado,

* * *

Kankuro was not happy.

He sat on the comfiest bed he could possibly think of - snickering at the fact that his little brother had absolutely no use for such a thing - and yet he was still angry.

_This little friggan thing. _

Kankuro mentally snarled. For the past 3 hours he'd been sitting on this bed and staring at that letter. Just a simple sheet of white paper, yet it was so completely offensive. Scrawled at the top of the folded sheet, in bright crimson blood, was his baby brother's name.

_Gaara Sabaku._

"Do I give to him?" He scowled. He supposed he should, but a letter written in blood? It just didn't seem sanitary somehow. Could be bad blood, could be poisonous. Kankuro continued to toil over this for the next hour.

A prisoner on death row had given it to him to give to Gaara when he'd come around for the last chance letters. Last chance to see them before they were moved to solitary. This particular prisoner had a bit more time, just enough for Gaara to mull over whether or not he wanted anything to do with the prisoner.

"Give what to who?" Temari leaned her head it, towel drying her hair with one hand and holding up a towel with the other.

"A letter written in blood to Gaara."

"You give it to him. If someone is desperate enough to write in blood, even if it's just an obsessed fan, he has to take it seriously or he could be sued. He can't have a liability like that." Temari made it so clear, so plain as day that Kankuro immediately replied.

"Nope no way is he getting this thing."

"Getting what thing?" Sasuke appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. His dress suit wasn't ripped up, that's a good sign. Kankuro smiled and passed Sasuke the letter. He was the head of security, he could deal with creepy bloody letters. Sasuke took the letter, opened it cautiously then shrugged.

"Seems harmless."

"Of course, only you would just see it, read it then decide it's totally harmless." Kankuro groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed, burying his head underneath the multitude of (useless) pillows on his brother's bed.

"Sir?" Sasuke stuck his head out into the hallway and Gaara called back a muffled answer. Sasuke waved him in then closed the door and gave him the letter.

"Kazekage-sama...."Gaara began murmuring the letter out loud then stopped and read it to himself. He read it over a couple of times before nodding, putting the letter in his jacket pocket and turning to Sasuke.

"We're going to prison." Gaara said it with such finality that Sasuke shrugged and sighed.

"Why?"

"Because I need to see if this letter is real and if it is I need to break out a prisoner." Gaara took his tie off and un-did a couple of buttons on his shirt before walking out.

Sasuke growled but chased the Kazekage, grumbling something about how he never thought he'd be breaking anyone out of prison while working at the UN.

"So lemme get this straight. We're going to go to jail-"

"Yes."

"-Break a person out-"

"If this letter is real."

"-then hire them to be Ino's replacement because she's going to work for the sniper squadron?"

"Correct." Gaara never even broke stride as Sasuke fired off his questions. A goddamn Kage should never be this chill about committing a felony. Sasuke gripped the red head's wrist.

"Gaara stop. Think. This is reckeless, stupid and reckless."

"You think I care?"

"You have that gala thing and you can't possibly hope to break someone out and go to it without being late."

Gaara stopped. "You've a point." Gaara turned and walked back into the hotel room. He tossed Sasuke the suit he'd gotten yesterday and gave one order. "Change."

"What?!"


	4. An Old Friend

**A/N:** Okay, that last chapter really annoyed me, but I'm rushing to try and finish chapters and make dates for work and social lives at the same time. It's a bloody wonder I don't live on exhaustion. I've finally got a timeline set up for this story that I'm in love with and a pal of mine is actually Krys' inventor. I'm merely usign her with the friends permission.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, am in no way associated with the owners. I'm not making a profit this is for entertainment purposes only. Any articles or name brands I use in this story are owned by their respective people. I have no claim.

Sorry I forgot the disclaimer in the beginning.

Without further ado,

* * *

_"When are you a true killer?"_

_"When you can realize you have a target, sign the contract that ends his life, then turn around and kill the man who gave you the contract."_

_"Why kill the man?"_

_"Because the man was your true target, the new target was the man paying you for the kill."_

_"What is this game?"_

_"A ploy within a contract."_

_"Correct."_

She dragged a hand across her forehead to push the sweat off. Her brother's voice was in her head again, he could play memories for her sometimes and he had replayed all of his training when she was a child, now they were all she had. Damon had endured amazing training. He was a part of the militia of her country, although he'd taken an oath of neutrality before the war broke out. Her entire clan had.

_Too bad they're dead._

All those people wiped off the map in not but a day by no more 6 people. All because some chick named Matt set up a chakra barrier, her kekkai genkai sealed them in a village where there was no escape from. No matter how much the people screamed they were neutral the ANBU that came that night called them terrorists. That night her entire village was slaughtered on the orders from the highest point.

_It was like Hell coming up over my home. When it finally retreated there was only me left..._

She rotated and sent a blade flying into the picture. That man, he had to die, so she pushed herself through the same training her brother had endured. The training of the guard. If you weren't the best by the time you graduated you never graduated, you never saw the sun again. She wasn't a killer by nature but for the revenge of her family she could kill 7 people.

_"You are nothing, and you never will be. You do not exist and you cannot exist. Why?"_

_"Because a killer has no friends, a killer has the target and the man paying."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because if a killer has friends, they are vulnerable to every threat the friend carries as well as their own. A killer cannot survive with the threats of 2 people on their head, let alone 16."_

_"Correct. Now go, bring me back the head of the man you hate most in this world. Or I will find you and kill you."_

She turned on her kitten heels and threw another blade backwards over her head into the picture, splitting the first knife down the middle. Then cast a quick genjutsu when she heard footsteps approaching. The room went right back to normal. Her targets disappeared and transformed into beautiful pieces of art. Paintings from all over the globe. Her weapons table became a brown suede couch. Everything was completely normal and totally unassuming. Perfect.

"Devon? Are you coming? We have to meet my brother at the gala." Kankuro Sabaku, her boyfriend.

"Of course, give me a moment I just need to paint my face on." She giggled and Kankuro laughed. Despite all else Devon couldn't quite help but notice that Kankuro was an amazing person. He was always so sweet to her, and they'd come to the agreement that neither of them cared if the other looked at other women or men, so long as neither touched.

"Devon, you look beautiful. Come on." Kankuro offered a hand and Devon smiled and took it. As they passed the mirror she met bright violet eyes and studied her own shoulder length brown hair.

She was beautiful, she frowned, because of all her lightly tanned skin and dark locks purple was her color. She was wearing a royal purple floor length dress with a black lace covering to darken it. The spaghetti strap look was perfect for her shoulders. The dress had a small mid-calf slice running up her left leg and her black kitten stilettos gave her just enough height to not have to stretch to kiss Kankuro.

_How fake you are,_ she couldn't help thinking.

_To my family, your vengeance starts today._

How could she know that one of the very people she sought to kill was thinking the same thought, only in a very different attire and a very different location.

Krys Ookami was sitting in the second cell of a maximum security death row cell. She could barely even remember how long she'd been there if not for the scratch count she had been doing since day one. Every time they fed her - which had to be every day - she scratched a mark into the wall. It wasn't that easy however considering that her wrists were bound behind her back, her feet bound together and then bound to the wall.

The amount of time she'd muttered to herself 'thank the gods I'm a shinobi' was immeasurable. Through her weekly 'questioning' she'd grown to have a scarred outer appearance, of course her face was fine, as were her arms, shoulders and legs.

'Nothing that the other guards can see.' She remembered the day guard informing her. Even if she wanted to report these men for trying to torture information out of her, the guards would never check and see. If it wasn't visible they didn't care. How stupid. Any true person would check. Hopefully Kankuro had gotten her letter to Gaara.

_No. Not Gaara, Kazekage-dono. _

It had been so long since she was officially an ANBU black ops that she'd forgotten how to address her Kage. She'd been in here for just about 5 years now. She'd gone in when she was 18 and hadn't been out in 5 years. The sun seemed almost like a myth she'd been told in a drugged delusion now that she hadn't seen it in so long. She used to have Sasuke tell her about it when he did get out into the hall.

The deal. She hadn't thought about that in a while. 666, as she had affectionately named her ex-cell neighbour, had made a deal with a guard for something to occupy his mind. Too bad he didn't know what he was getting into. He had made the deal that for 60 minutes he and the guard could play mind games, if he was lucky enough to win at the end of the hour he got 10 minutes to be in the hallway. Any time out of that cell was good.

However if the guard won the game, then Sasuke didn't eat the next day. Hunger messed with your head and made it easier for the guard to win.

He never should have made that deal and for a year Krys listened to him try and win. Some nights he did, others...not so lucky. It took one year for Krys to decide that she needed to try and bring the man back to his senses. He had already lost 3/4 of his mind, almost completely gone.

"Hello?" Krys' heart leaped to her throat. It had been 5 years since she'd heard the voice of her young Kage. He'd been 19 when she last heard him. His voice had been the one ordering her to go out on corrupt orders. Dimly she wondered if perhaps he knew that they were corrupt and then immediately banished the idea from her mind. Gaara was far too good to ever do such a thing.

"Kazekage-dono," She silently thanked the gods that she didn't call him Gaara by accident, "It's been a while."

"You call yourself Krys Ookami, but I have no proof that you are she. Krys definitely did not resemble you. Being that this is a men's prison, I highly doubt this information."

"But you are here anyway, meaning you've probably already exhausted all other venues and are desperate for a glimmer of hope. I've seen you at this stage of hope, Kazekage-dono, and this is the same kind of clutching-at-straws attitude you get." Krys couldn't resist smiling, her Kazekage was still precautious but was still hoping. Which for Krys meant that he never lost hope in her survival. Thank god.

"After 5 years of searching, if you are lying I'm promising you that you will never leave this cell until death. Which won't be for a long, long time." Gaara all but snarled.

"Sir, please. Can we get out of here now? You've established that this is a guy and therefore not Krys. No need to waste anymore time." Krys started, she knew that voice. It had been 3 years, but she knew it. Sasuke! He was back, oh no. Poor man, this place was a venue from his worst nightmare.

"666? That you?" She called from inside her cloth of darkness and saw the raven's shoulders straighten.

There had only ever been one person to nickname him 666. It was a ploy on his numbers 6613. His neighbour back when he was occupying the first cell had been his anchor to sanity and the only person who knew just how bad it had been.

"By the gods! Chris?" Of course, she had left him under the impression she was a male. "Is that you? You're still here?"

"Yea. I'm here, will you please come in here and check my arm. Gaara needs to see my Suna ANBU tattoo to prove I'm who I'm saying." She smiled. Sasuke knew her - somewhat - Sasuke trusted her enough to come in.

Sasuke turned to Gaara. "If it's okay with you sir?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was still working, but he had to speed this along. Either disprove this lie or prove it true, in either event he still had to get Gaara to that damn gala on time. Chris was claiming to be Krys, a girl who had apparently been working for the Kazekages since the 4th. She was one of Gaara's top ANBU captains when he was young and she was his most trusted one. She'd been with him since he was 14 until he was 19 when she was said to have gone rogue. Or at least that was what Gaara told him.

"Go." Gaara wasn't talking much anymore, keeping his vocal usage to orders. So Sasuke reasoned that this Krys chick had been fairly important to him and that if this was a lie that it would really suck to be Chris.

Sasuke picked the lock on the cell door, Chris couldn't move much anyway. If he was anything like he used to be, the guards kept him bound up like Satan himself was coming for the guy. The last Uchiha approached and brushed back Chris' hair, then pushed up his sleeve.

He jumped back.

"Sir, it's there. She---he---the tattoo is there."

"Krys!" Gaara rushed into the cell and hugged the inmate. Sasuke's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it.

Krys was overwhelmed, she had never really expected to ever feel Gaara's arms around her again. The Kazekage had spent so much time with her back when they were both just teenagers that they were almost brother and sister. Everyone always expected that the relationship was less then platonic but she was one of select few to know the young Kage was less then interested in women. However she never full-heartedly expected to meet him again, hear him again, let alone see him again. Gods how she'd missed the man.

"Gaara it's good to see you." She murmured in his ear. The red head had yet to let go of her, it had been so long and he'd searched so hard but it was like she'd been wiped off the face of the planet. No one knew anything and nothing was changing their minds. The only two people who could possibly have guessed as to her location were in comas at the hospital. Matt and Kyoto had been in comas for a long time and they were the only two members of her old squad the Kage had succeeded in finding.

"You've no idea how hard I looked. My family never gave up hope that you were alive." He squeezed tighter for a moment then shook the sand out of his hair, you aren't exactly allowed gourds in prison, and using this small amount Gaara broke her chains.

"Still the desert king?" She asked. Desert king had been a joke between when they were children.

"Of course." He smirked. Then handed her a dress. "Get changed now, we have to go to a gala. Sasuke will fill you in on everything." He informed her.

After a while Krys had learned something, when Gaara gave you an order; just do it. So she turned her back on the two men and quickly changed out of the prison garbs. Throwing on the dress she ran her fingers through her hair to give it some semblance of neatness and walked out of the cell she'd been calling home for so long. Krys looked over and saw Gaara on the phone.

"Yes. Walk in to death row then disapparate and go home. That's all I need." Gaara was giving someone instructions, and 10 minutes later a blond woman walked in then poofed out of existance. Gaara reached over and touched Krys' forehead and Krys knew she looked like the blond woman.

"This is your escape plan? Walk me out as that chick?"

"Have a better one?"

"Nope."

"Then shut up." Gaara smiled. He couldn't quite believe he was actually able to pull this off - well he would say that when he finally got her out of the pen and into the sunlight again.

"Hey Krys?" Sasuke whispered as he passed her the sunglasses he always kept in his pocket, "You're going to want these. The sun kills the first time you see it."

Sasuke said the sun kills. Krys couldn't help but wonder. He hadn't really seen it in two years when he got out, and apparently the experience sucked. She hadn't seen it in five years, what would the sun feel like?


	5. The Gala And The Girlfriend

**A/N: **Sorry, this chapter got really long, so I had to cut in half. And it's official my friend Blood Red Moon13 is writing out Krys' words for this chapter. I wrote the stuff, she does speaking so if Krys seems like she has a bit different speech patterns in this one...good!

Without further ado,

* * *

Krys glared balefully at Gaara, she loved the red head but the idiot should have warned her that the sun was that bright. The rays seemed to burn into her eyes and roast her bloody retinas, she was certain she could weep blood right now from all the pain that gas ball was inflicting.

However she wasn't about to admit that little fact to either of the men walking beside her, her pride, though injured from having to pretend to be this blond, wouldn't let her. Admitting that the sun - stupid fucking thing - was hurting her was a slight on her part that could not be allowed, let alone seen and acknowledged.

She shook like a dog and then genjutsu she was wearing fell away to change her back into herself.

"Krys I can feel your eyes burning holes in my skull, may I inquire as to why that it?" Damn him the Kage always knew it when she was hating his guts. Ever since they were children training with wooden knives until their defenses were good enough, he had always been acutely aware of her presence and her aura. It was creepy.

"The sun sucks....shouldn't dare be so damn bright." She muttered, well grumbled more like.

Gaara chuckled and Sasuke pulled open the car door, the door to freedom, and let Krys in first followed by Gaara then Sasuke himself.

Krys was remotely startled. Gaara never traveled in a limo, but she had never seen him traveling in a car like this. The seats were so incredibly comfortable and there was enough space to easily fit 4 more people in with them. She let her eyes widen a millimeter then concealed it with all the grace of a natural born ANBU.

"Krys, you know him as 666, but this is Sasuke Uchiha my head of security." Gaara smiled as he introduced the raven officially.

Krys smiled, despite everything that had happened she could still recognize the smiled on Gaara's face. He was proud of the Uchiha male, hell if she knew why, but his eyes shone with pride and confidence. Evidently he thought this man could keep him safe. Odd. Gaara had really only ever trusted her with his life.

"Yea 666 is good people." Prison slang, she realized. Then corrected herself hastily. "I mean yes sir, I'm aware. Sasukeis a good man." She painted on the best fake smile she could summon. She hadn't smiled in so long that the expression felt wholly wrong on her face. Gaara reached over and just barely tilted her head and adjusted her smile.

"Perfect. You could pass that off for a real one." He turned to Sasuke. "Don't you agree?"

The last Uchiha studied the girl closely. Dark hair that was too long, it touched her waist, it was too feminine for her. Her eyes were a pale green, but Sasuke could see the twinges of yellow in them. Amazing. It was completely complimented by her lightly-tanned skin. He'd never really seen the person he now knew to be Krys and it annoyed him that he'd never seen her face.

"Yes. It's perfect."

And it was. The smile was false but it was so close to a true one that if you weren't examining it, it was flawless. Sasuke scowled, while his mind was still on her hair. She looked gorgeous, but her hair wasn't very nice. She'd tried to fix it but failed.

"Come here, let me fix your hair. You can't go to one of the biggest Galas in the city looking like that." Krys frowned but shifted closer and let him use his fingers as a comb. She hadn't brushed her hair in five years but Sasuke worked through the knots in her hair like he was a hair-stylist by trade. She smiled. He does everything, no wonder he's in the line of work he's in. You have to do and be everything and everyone.

She laughed aloud. "A man of all trades or is the phrase jack of all trades?" She had spoken to anyone in three years since Sasuke was taken away from the prison. The phrases were still there in her mind, but she had some difficulty separating one from another.

"Jack is the right one and I have to be if I want to work for Sir."

Gaara met Krys' eyes, and immediately she felt that inane comfort he seemed to breath. "How the times have changed. No longer am I Gaara, but Sir. He won't call me anything but that anymore and he started out with such fire." He scowled.

Krys spent the rest of the ride laughing up until the point where Gaara acknowledged the problem they'd all been ignoring. "Sasuke, Krys will be your new partner. Ino-san is leaving tonight for a new assignment so Krys will be filling the empty space." He stated it more then asked. Gaara was Kazekage. For the most part, his word was law and above all contest.

"Sir you must be joking," Sasuke appeared to be completely against the idea, "She's been out of commission for 5 years. She is in no possible way my equal, in battle or anywhere else. She cannot be my partner." He was agitated towards the middle of his protests but had calmed himself down by the end of it.

Krys could have smacked him. Not his equal, she'd been out on S-Rank missions while he was still in the academy learning how to throw a kunai straight. Impudent pup.

"You are right, unfortunately Krys I see no option but to demote you back to a chunnin-"

"Gaara!" She yelped. No way, she was so not being a lowly chunnin again. The red head was out of his mind if he thought she'd agree to that much of a demotion. "A least a jounin."

"A jounin has proved themselves on a S-Rank solo mission, you are yet to do so. I will place you as I see fit and I do not have to justify my choices. This is exactly where I would be putting anyone else who hasn't had any field experience for as long as you have." He gave her a apologetic glance.

The car stopped in front of a building where lights illuminated the entrance way so brilliantly that there was no space for a shadow which pleased Krys immensely; it was far harder to hide if there were no shadows for cover.

"Get out on Gaara's side and stay a pace behind him." Sasuke instructed softly. She nodded, ignoring the instinct to smack him for giving her orders, and followed the Kazekage out into the flashing lights.

The urge to flinch was too much and luckily Sasuke arrived at her side just in time to make her looking away appear as though she was looking for him. He looked so natural in the flashing lights that for a second Krys forgot that he was an reckless pup who really needed an attitude adjustment.

_But then again, wouldn't society say the same for anyone coming off death row?_

Krys silenced the thought. It could shut up, Sasuke still needed to fix it and he's had a 3 year head start. She let him take her arm and begin walking towards the door.

Flicking her eyes to her mark, she noticed his act had gotten better. When he was first Kazekage, everyone viewed him as a boy playing as Kazekage. It annoyed him so he learned to act as an adult, people began to treat him as such but it wouldn't satisfy the red head. So Gaara spent hours perfecting his act out among the people.

Nowadays his smile was perfect in place and he was perfectly willing to stop and hug or take a picture with a fan when he was younger he would've shied away from the idea. At the moment she spotted Gaara bending at the waist to put his arms around a few girls. The two women kissed his cheeks and the red head smiled jokingly.

Krys could see the barely contained annoyance in his eyes. He hid admirably though...

"Creepy eh?" Sasuke murmured in her ear.

"Very." She wasn't used to this actor known as Gaara. She did a quick scan of the crowds as she noticed Sasuke beginning to let his eyes flick over the faces surrounding him.

She paused on a face she couldn't make out. A black cloak, hood pulled low so all that was visible was lips. Krys scowled and stepped towards it, and blinked. The figure was gone when her eyes opened again. It hadn't even tried to hide, it stood in plain sight and in the sight of the lights. Then disappears?

"We're being watched. A suspicious character was there a moment ago, now they're gone." She leaned up and whispered directly into Sasuke's ear, making it appear as though it was something personal.

Sasuke nodded and approached Gaara. "Kazekage-dono, come, we really must talk regarding..." Sasuke let the phrase fall away but kept his lips moving murmuring instead, "Sir we may have a problem we need to get you inside." He began casually leading the red head inside and Krys equally casually kept a crazy fan from leaping over the barrier and hugging the man.

Once inside the scene began. Gaara took off, approaching a group of politicians and their wives, kissing the wives' cheeks and shaking hands with the others. Hugging one man he recognized.

Krys kept her gaze on him and focused it intensely, there was no chance of Gaara disappearing on her watch, she had to get her ANBU rank back fast.

"Everyone, do a scan. I've got eyes on the Kazekage." Sasuke murmured into his wrist, the radio mouthpiece attached to his jacket sleeve for easy use. Not necessarily normal looking, but easy enough. Sasuke was standing beside this woman, Krys, apparently to join his team. Gaara had literally taken off into the crowds the moment they arrived with the brisk instruction for Sasuke to watch her.

"Lemme get this straight, you are the guy in charge?"

"By my misfortune, yes." He sighed. Gaara was dancing with some girl and therefore did not really require supervision, but it was his job so he kept his eyes glued to the man. Krys sighed, happy as she was to be back she did not have any interest in being here. She needed to protect the damn red head, he had no idea about what had really happened on her last mission!

"Misfortune? Gaara's a good man." She defended her childhood friend with a renewed vigor. They'd known each other for a long time and she would not stand to have anyone insulting him. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow but said nothing for a moment.

"I know he is, but he isn't exactly easy to guard. Most people let me do my thing, Gaara is highly involved in every aspect of his security. Including you. I'm supposed to let you on my team in place of a woman I've known my whole life. I don't exactly like it, but ultimately he's the boss." Sasuke brushed off his own annoyance. Gaara may be the boss, but he still didn't like that he could make any changes to Sasuke's own team.

However he did know Ino was leaving for the sniper thing, but he had planned on finding his own replacement for her on his own time. Gaara had informed him in the heat of the moment before they got to prison, with the full knowledge that he'd been too busy to actually take in the barely mentioned information.

"Sir, Kankuro is here with me and telling me to tell you to--"

"Hey Sasuke it's Kankuro. Get my brother, he needs to meet my girlfriend." Kankuro had hijacked the poor squad members radio, or wrist. Probably both now that Sasuke thought on it.

Sasuke disappeared into the crowd to get the Kazekage and Krys smiled when Kankuro walked up. He had a woman on his arm and Krys was startled to say that she was kind of pretty. How did _Kankuro _land a girl like _that? _He was a womanizer, not exactly prone to monogamy. However, if she was with him, whose to say she wasn't exactly like him.

"Hi, you must be the prisoner - sorry ex-prisoner Kankuro told me about. The one who wrote in blood? I'm Devon, Devon Tara Kankuro's girlfriend." The woman offered a hand and Krys shook it, discreetly checking to see if the woman was wearing any genjutsu.

Nothing, but Krys couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity with the woman. Devon gave her a fabulous smile and took a step back, introducing herself to Sasuke next.

Krys studied her expression, maybe she had the same look as someone else?

Gaara approached and immediately went to his brother. "Kankuro, how are you?" Krys could see him murmur something in his ear. Kankuro responded quietly then Gaara stepped back and greeted Devon.

"I'm Gaara Sabaku, the little brother and Kazekage." He kissed Devon's knuckles politely and the purple eyed woman chuckled lightly.

"Kankuro was right, you are very good at this." The two continued pleasantries absently.

Krys looked around the room and realized that all the other high-ups were going to their seats, she tapped Gaara's arm and sighed. "We should go sit, everyone else is."

Gaara glanced around and nodded. The group made their way to the table and laughed when they spotted Temari already sitting down beside her boyfriend Shikamaru Nara.

The blond gave a guilty child of a smile when she realized the crowd standing there. "Well what are you waiting for? An invitation? Sit."

Gaara shook his head and groaned but sat down on the other side of his sister. Kankuro took the empty chair beside him, then Devon, Sasuke, and Krys sat. Ultimately Krys ended up on Shikamaru's right.

"Temari, I figure it's best I introduce now rather then later," He motioned to Krys, "Krys is back."

Temari disappeared and suddenly Krys was being hugged tightly. "Ohhhh I missed you so much." At first it was warm, then Temari smacked her upside the head. "BAKA! I can't believe you're home." And then she was being hugged again.

Krys could honestly say that for the first time in life, she was puzzled. Temari was mad at her, but Temari was happy to see her?

Temari made Shikamaru switch seats and immediately flew into a long catch-up conversation. "Where have you been? What have you been doing? I'm dating Shika now, as you can see and he's awesome when the lazy bastard is awake."

"Prison, I was on death row." She said it in such a way that signaled the end of the conversation.

Temari nodded and gasped, "Your poor hair. I have to fix it when we get back to the hotel. You are coming with us, there's no way Gaara will let you out of his sight now that you're back. And if he does, I'll smack him."

"I missed you." They both sighed, Sasuke tapped Krys on the shoulder to draw her eyes then gave his orders.

"Gaara has to make a speech, you are going up with him to the stage, he's introducing you as a dear friend and fellow peacemaker I think." Sasuke sighed and Krys nodded.

"Yea, I used to do this a long time ago, I know what I'm doing."

"Good, so do it now." He motioned and Gaara rose to his feet, bowing slightly at the applause and offering a hand to Krys. Krys reached out and took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the stage. Krys was almost horrified for a second, there was so many faces in the crowd and everyone was focusing on her and the red head.

"Sorry love, but apparently it's risky for me to go up there alone. God knows why, but hey maybe if I get shot at you can save me and earn jounin status?" He flashed her a smirk and greeted a man as they walked by.

"Maybe, Sasuke is probably just testing me to see if I'm worthy to be his partner or something." She ignored the way her own sentence bit at her. Sasuke may be alpha of theguard, but Gaara was the one she'd listen to.

The fiery red head bit down a laugh by hiding it with a smile instead. "Now I recall. I knew there was a reason I never brought you to the stage with me. It's very difficult not to laugh when you are around."

Krys feigned a innocent face, her features despite their lack of use falling into place perfectly to help her make the face work. Gaara scowled then then turned to the mike.

Gaara shifted his grip to bring Krys closer. Krys gripped his forearm demurely, with her wrist wound through his elbow and his hand on hers.

"Good evening friends, it's been a wonderful first day here, this country is truly beautiful. I've met many a interesting character already, am I right Nathan?" Gaara addressed a man who rose and bowed laughingly. "What the United Nations stands for is everything I've fought for for so long..."

Krys tuned out her friend's voice as Sasuke's chimed in her ear. "What's with the smile? You look like you just stole from the cookie jar and totally got away with it."

"Oh nothing," she used chakra to edit the mike that Gaara spoke into to only pick up him and without moving her lips spoke into her own mike, "Just remembering why Kazekage-dono never really liked it when I went up to the stage with him. According to him, I have a way of making him laugh."

From where she stood, she saw Sasuke's face contort into a puzzled expression as he took a sip of his drink before he lifted his wrist to speak to her again. "He can laugh," Sasuke sounded mock-shocked, "My god, I had no idea it was possible."

Krys barely managed to not laugh out loud at the Uchiha's antics, his voice in her ear coupled with his hilarious facial expressions was so hard to resist. Was he trying to embarrass both her _and _Gaara?

She glared across the room at him and the raven cocked an eyebrow and grinned as if to ask, 'what is it? Something wrong?'

"Whoops maybe I shouldn't have said that. Temari is glaring daggers at me." He chucked a dazzlingly mischievous smirk her way. Krys gripped Gaara's arm a little tighter and the red head's eyes flicked to her for a moment before returning to the audience.

Krys shut her eyes for a second before opening them again it was so tempting to use chakra to hide her presence, but people would wonder if suddenly she disappeared.

"Oh if you could see your face right now Krys," Sasuke rumbled in her ear again and Krys almost growled. She had to be blushing, that's the only reason Sasuke would mock her.

"Shut up." She muttered before taking a deep breath and holding it to try and calm herself, Gaara would be introducing her soon and she couldn't be so tomato red when he did.

"No way, this is part of your training; not giggling when you are supposed to be a professional and by the way your cheeks look almost pink right now. Is that blood rushing to your head from effort not to laugh, or are you blushing?"

"Blood rushing to my head you jerk," she noticed in the nick of time that Gaara was about to introduce her and she took yet another deep breath.

_Please don't let me be blushing, please don't let me be blushing._

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the pleasure of introducing you to a dear friend of mine and a dedicated fellow peacemaker, put your hands together for Krys Ookami." He stepped back and clapped along with the crowd.

"Thank you Kazekage-sama, and thank you all for letting me be here tonight..."She continued but she could hear Sasuke muttering in her earpiece.

"What talent, such an actress you are. Oh shit, Temari looks like she really wants to hurt me. Should I be concerned?" Sasuke threw her a hesitantly cocky look.

Krys, having ignored the last Uchiha's statements nearly entirely finished her little speech.

"And I must say it's a pleasure to be here, it is a great honor and privilege to be in the presence of such fine people," she bowed a little.

Another concealed emotion. Krys studied Gaara's face for a second and recognized pride in her. He was proud again. Krys almost rolled her eyes, he had always treated her as a little sister.

The Kage stepped up to her side again and spoke into the mike. "On that excellent note, I'll pass you off to our Master of Ceremony. Have a good evening." He put his arm back around her waist and walked them both off the stage, whispering in her ear, "Good job."

Krys grinned, she would never say it, but of course she liked it when she got her Kage's approval. He was like her older brother, having his 'yes' was a good thing. "It's a good thing to know that I haven't lost my touch with crowds."

"I'm glad as well, now all you have to do is prove to Sasuke that you are capable of being his partner."

"I know."

Which would be a bitch. From what she knew of 666 he had high standards on everyone around him, but that inspired such loyalty when they were reached that his team rarely changed.

666 was not going to make this easy for her, that much was obvious - she couldn't even do a speech without him testing something. However that meant that when she did reach his standards he would have to be impressed, hell so would she.

The red head pulled out her chair at the table and gave her one last whispered piece of advice, "Good luck."

"Not bad new girl." He clapped slowly and softly at her, not sarcastically but barely approving. "I salute you." He took a sip of his drink and barely lifted it to her.

"Thanks, even if I haven't passed your test yet."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow and Krys blatantly ignored the little voice in her head that screeched about how cute he looked like that up close. "What do you mean?"

Krys was quiet for a moment. He wasn't just asking a question, he was testing her analytical skills.

"I'm not at your level yet, right?" She let a smirk walk across her lips then disappear.

"Correct. And it will take a while to reach them."

After that Krys made it inconspicuous but she paid extra-close attention to the Uchiha. He seemed innocent and his words would draw in and fool you fast.

Luckily the rest of the evening was pretty uneventful and up until the point they were leaving all they really had to do was keep an eye on Gaara.

When they were on their way out the door however Krys froze for a second and Sasuke made it casual again by jogging to catch up and taking her waist. The figure from earlier when they were walking in was there.

It opened the car door, gave a little wave then disappeared into the crowd.

"You saw that too?"

"Saw what?" Devon and Kankuro appeared and the woman was smiling warmly up at her boyfriend.

"Nothing." They both shook their heads and took their place by the car door. She felt the car light up with chakra and knew instinctively that Sasuke was doing a bomb sweep.

Someone trying to blow up Gaara? The idea seemed foreign, she frowned and kept an even closer eye on the Kage.

Gaara must have felt her worry being directed to him and turned back for a second. He mouthed quickly, "It's good to have you back."

Krys grinned bashfully and mouthed back, "It's good to be back."

Krys smothered the urge to tell him everything. How giddy she was to be home again, how much she missed his family. How many nights she had spent dreaming of the day the Suna siblings would break her out of jail.

No, there was no way he could ever know how much she loved them. It was far too dangerous for both them and her. Gaara was the true alpha in this pack and being his beta meant blind obedience, not love.

She let everyone get in the car ahead of her then took her place on the only empty seat, on Gaara's right side, right where she belonged.


	6. The Beginning

**A/N: **I don't know if I've put in a disclaimer yet...

**Disclaimer:**I am in no way affiliated with anything Naruto, or the UN. I own neither. This makes no profit, it is for entertainment purposes only. As well I have absolutely nothing to do with the United Nations and though I'm hoping that my information is correct, if it isn't I'm sorry.

* * *

"For the sake of protocol, let's run through the day. At 7am Kazekage-dono has a meeting with the General Assembly, they want to hear him talk about his efforts for peace and his love for the United Nations and all that - as well as to vote on whether or not to provide him with extra resources for his peacekeeping mission. Krys and I will be attending that meeting with him." He and his entire team - consisting of Krys, Carlie (the medic), Tyler (a sharpshooter), Jonesy (the teams weapon expert), Gabrielle (better known as Gabbii) and himself - were up at the crack of dawn to run through the schedule so Gabbii could mark down that they were doing their job in accordance with the UN's expectations. Gabbii, however, was asleep on the couch.

"After that there's a 2 hour empty time slot which the United Nations strongly recommends is spent getting to know some of the other available ambassadors here; make friends and play nice kind of deal." Krys, clad in a pair of Temari's pj's and toting coffee mugs for most of the team, called from the kitchen and kicked the door open gently.

Sasuke took his cup from Krys with a murmur and nod of thanks. His head flicked up and his gaze jumped to the bedroom. Gaara was awake, he could hear him moving. Sharing a room with both his mark and his partner had not been anything like what Sasuke had expected. But at the bare minimum it kept him on his toes. Hiding nightmares from not one but two very acutely attentive people was definitely a feat to be proud of.

"Good morning all, I see you are all combing through my daily life and schedule." The subject of their discussion, the Kazekage himself, walked into the living room and sat on the couch between Sasuke and Krys. The last Uchiha almost buried his face in his coffee. He'd dealt with hot marks before, but those people were aware they were attractive and used it to their full potential. Sasuke doubted that Gaara was even aware he was distracting all the female members of his team - except Krys - and Sasuke himself.

Sasuke had at least thrown a shirt on - at Carlie's request - to hide the fact that he was, to quote the brilliant medic 'wicked sexy, for the boss.' Gaara had had no such request made to him, so he sat casually in merely black trousers. Sasuke directed his attention away from the Kazekage and towards Krys, Krys however, was not much better.

Seated casually on the other end of the couch, Krys was studying the schedule intently. Her hair shone almost navy in the poor lighting and Temari's cream silk pj shirt did her figure justice. The shirt clung to her in all the right places - and from a man who'd been firmly under the impression he was gay since he turned 16 that said something. Sasuke did a mental face palm, directing his attentions to Krys hadn't help his level of distraction one bit.

"...Sasuke?"

"Yes?" He lowered his head, and his gaze, from the clouds and met Krys' cool gaze. "Sorry, it's a bit early even for me." He glanced at Gaara again, risking that same lost-in-space distraction and made himself speak. "Sir, if you're hungry Krys did a little experimenting with food in the kitchen." He deliberately let the hint be obvious - _I'm doing the one part of my job that doesn't involve you, can I keep it that way?_

Gaara recognized the clue for what it was and nodded politely as he rose to his feet with that ever-present grace. "Breakfast sounds good to me." He turned and disappeared into the dining room, leaving the desert scent in his wake.

Krys scruffed her hair. "I'm going to go get changed now." She stood and strolled back towards the bathroom.

"Sir?" Carlie addressed him and Sasuke turned his eyes to her. "Is sleeping with a mark inappropriate conduct?"

_By the gods, she's serious!_

.

Krys Ookami was like the unofficial youngest suna sibling. Gaara's little sister, once upon a time she hadn't needed his protection at all, she could walk into a city and be recognized for her accomplishments. After her stint in prison, her reputation still stood, but so many assumed her dead that she had to at least for the minute rely on her elder brother's reputation.

**Bring.....BRING.....Bring...**

Quiet, loud, quiet...Krys knew the ring tone to be Gaara's. The ring tone he'd reserved for those he really didn't like. Krys picked the cell phone up off the bathroom counter, finished styling her hair the way she wanted it and flipped the phone open. When they were together last Gaara never once spoke out against her checking his phone so she suspected he wouldn't protest now.

To:Gaara Sabaku  
From: Jerome

Krys grinned, Gaara and Jerome were still together? That made like what 7 years together. Krys couldn't help smile. Knowing Gaara, this relationship was going places, he'd always been good at relationships and that love thing. She paused however, why did Gaara have that ring tone assigned to his lover. Her eyes narrowed at the phone and she began reading the text.

Message: I ought to have hit you harder. This never would've happened if I'd taught you your place earlier. Rumor has it you've already got a new lover, replace me so quickly?--

Krys almost dropped the phone, shocked at first. Then the fierce protective anger surged through her. She stormed out into the kitchen and gave a short jerk on Gaara's wrist before stomping back into the bedroom. "Gaara. I need to talk with you. Now. Come." The red head looked up from his drink and conversation then the smile fell off his face as he assessed the situation. Krys had his cell phone in hand, he'd been right earlier when he swore that his phone had gone off.

Regardless of all these warning signs he stood and went into the bedroom. The moment the door closed Gaara knew he was in trouble. He sat on the bed and took comfort in the fact that she wasn't throttling him for something he wasn't aware he'd done. "So what's up?"

For a moment Krys felt bad, Gaara had been happy, had been smiling - something he hadn't done often when they were together last - and she had to jerk the happiness away. However she couldn't let a text like that slide by her.

"Jerome and you. What happened?"

Gaara went perfectly silent. Krys had no doubt seen one of Jerome's text messages, heard it ringing and assumed it was okay to answer, god he prayed she hadn't talked to his ex. Krys glared at his cell phone as if somehow it was to blame, but Gaara knew this situation was his fault. If he wasn't such a coward, his family would already know that he liked men and none of this would've happened.

But he couldn't tell Krys. Krys would march out and kill his ex-lover. She'd just gotten out of prison, throwing her back in would suck. So he glanced at his watch, feigned surprise then exclaimed.

"Is that the time, we really must go." Gaara was out of the room and hotel in moments. Krys cursed, but followed snatching Sasuke from his seat and leaving in a hurry. If Gaara wasn't going to pipe up about what the hell happened then she'd get the information from Sasuke. The raven tossed her an odd glance, he didn't understand what had happened to make Gaara take off like a bat outta hell or Krys drag him from his chair and out the door.

When they arrived at the United Nations Krys practically threw Sasuke into position. Luckily the other ambassadors had yet to arrive so it was just security that saw Sasuke barely manage to balance himself by catching the corner of the podium. "May I ask what happened?" He scowled. His morning had been going so well...had, that's past tense.

"You have explaning to do."

Sasuke frowned, Krys was mad at him? For doing what?! "I do...? Why..." Sasuke was hesitant to speak now, if he had already pissed off Krys he didn't want to make it worse by saying something else. He tried to sound like he knew what she was talking about but it was difficult when you know that if you lie she'll kill you and if you tell the truth she still might murder you.

"What happened between Gaara and Jerome?" She gripped the front of his shirt and Sasuke could feel the security guards watching them with barely contained amusement, it wasn't often they got to see Sasuke Uchiha the best guard around thrown around by a girl willingly. He wasn't fighting back as much as he could and it was deeply fun for them to see a pretty girl like Krys chucking him around and threatening him. "Gaara got a text saying that Jerome should have hi-"

Sasuke covered her mouth. So that's what this was about. She'd found out about Jerome, Gaara didn't want to talk about it and now he was suffering. He cast a small glare towards the red head. Gaara stood off to one side with a woman from the United Nations, they were running through the topics of the meeting and his cue to go talk.

"That. Is not something you just yell about. Think of Sir's image, this is why I want you to have to work for jounin; impulse control would be incredibly helpful for you. Both you and I had problems with it when we first got out. Now..."Sasuke touched Krys' wrist and turned off the mike. He did the same to his own wrist then drew her away from the big boom mic.

"What happened?" She hissed at him and Sasuke had to physically stop himself from growling at her to shut up. Stupid girl.

_Political puppy! _Krys thought angrily. This was her brother! She deserved to know!

"From what the Kazekage has told me it seems as though Jerome and he were together for 7 years but every once in a while Jerome would flash a nasty side. Gaara was wary, but not afraid. When he found out he was going to get to come here he told Jerome and the man flipped. He hit Gaara and Gaara left him immediately."

"Goddamn right he did!" Krys snarled. Her eyes seemed to flash yellow and Sasuke scowled. "You better have already done a full check into Jerome. Why is he even still texting Gaara, why haven't _you,_" She stabbed him in the chest with two fingers, "gotten a goddamn restraining order and gag order?"

Sasuke breathed deeply, Krys was a very good friend but she could try his patience like no other. "Sir!" He barked. Gaara rounded on his heels, automatically assuming that just like always he was being yelled at because of some kind of threat. When he just saw the two of his guards standing together, both their poses screaming anger, he realized what it was about. Gaara flashed a smile and finished his conversation quickly.

"I suppose I can't bow out of this conversation?" He gave them a hopeful smile this time and both guards just shook their heads. Gaara nodded more to himself then anybody else and sighed. "So what do you want to know?" He jumped off the stage effortlessly and sat down in one of the other country's booths. Krys and Sasuke both took a different position. Sasuke sat on the table and turned off the mike there, Krys leaned both her hands on the table but stayed on her feet.

"What the hell happened? Because you make it sound so trivial, I know it was big." Krys glared and Gaara nodded. The Kazekage seemed to think it over for a second then scowled and ran one hand down his face. To Sasuke it looked like he was just tired but when he looked up again his face was different. His bottom lip was split and his face had a black hand print on one side. He'd been backhanded. It was there only for a second before the illusion was back in place.

Gaara pushed up his sleeves and touched both Krys and Sasuke's faces. "Let's just get this out of the way, neither of you are to comment on this." Gaara closed his eyes and both guards bit down an exclamation. It was like looking at a memory, only through Gaara's eyes. Looking at Gaara's memory of the situation, Sasuke rationalized.

_"The United Nations, Jerome, can you even believe it? Amazing, they're finally noticing that I could use some help with peacekeeping." Gaara was looking down at the bed, putting a shirt into a suitcase. Both bodyguards almost yelped when they **felt **two hands slide around their stomachs to pull them back against someone. Krys recognized Jerome's face when his head was rested on Gaara's shoulder._

_"I'm so glad, but why are you packing?" Jerome sounded confused, and a little angered. Krys noticed the flash of warning in Jerome's eyes and Sasuke felt the alarm bells begin ringing in his head but Gaara must have quashed them._

_"Isn't it obvious? I'm going there, I'll be working hand in hand with them to finally finish off negotiations and prevent any future wars." He looked back and Sasuke felt the bells clang loudly. Jerome was glaring angrily at the suitcase on the bed and just in case Gaara made his sand finish packing quickly and form a protective bubble around his possessions._

_Krys could've screamed. She could see the explosive rage in Jerome's eyes but she could tell that Gaara had been feeling confusion and concern for Jerome not himself._

_"No. You're not." Jerome growled low. "You're not leaving."_

_Krys breathed a sigh of relief when Gaara's sand began hovering anxiously, ready to protect him if deemed necessary. "Jerome-"_

_The blue eyes Krys knew Gaara loved turned frigid and suddenly Jerome had pounced, knocking Gaara to the floor and smacking his head against the bed. That's why the sand didn't react fast, Gaara had been dazed for a second. That one second was all it took, Jerome raised his hand and slapped it against Gaara's cheek. The Kazekage didn't cry out, didn't even react. _

_A Kage couldn't afford such weakness._

_Both Krys and Sasuke felt their fingers twitch in time with Gaara's and the sand rushed in to separate the two men. Jerome was thrown against the wall and Gaara rose to his feet._

_"This, this is over. You will leave my house, or I will have you killed." Gaara made the threat calmly and Jerome fled. Then the Kazekage dropped forwards onto his knees and brought one hand to his chest. Both bodyguards felt the ache in their heart then suddenly-_

-it was done. Gaara was panting lightly and he was no longer touching them. There was a dim gleam of sweat on his brow and Sasuke felt himself pulling out a small piece of cloth before it was even a thought. "W-what was that?" He asked. He'd never seen anything like that before.

"Sharing. It's a Kage only trick. We use it to show other Kages what a situation is so they can assess it better. The downside is that the Kage sharing has to keep the other grounded - that's the exertion - because otherwise the other's body responds. You both almost fell off the table when Jerome knocked me down and both your heads snapped to the right when I was struck. You feel everything I did in vivid detail."

Sasuke's eyes widened. That had been exhilarating, if horrible.

"Remind me again, why can't I kill him." Krys glowered dangerously and Sasuke could almost swear there were fangs poking out of her mouth. Full on wolf fangs.

"Because, I can't risk anybody assuming I murder lovers when I'm done." Gaara seemed to be losing his temper seeing as his eyes were darkening from azure to jade. Sasuke had to see the funny side in that, when he got mad he turned jaded. A horrible joke but one that still made Sasuke's lips twitch as they were tempted to smile.

Krys was tempted to knock out both men and kill Jerome before they even woke up. But Gaara's sand began circling him casually, she cursed softly, he knew her too well. He'd protect both him and Sasuke without ever moving....Damn him. She glared protectively at him and he nodded. In total silence an entire had transpired.

Her glare had translated as; I'm just worried about you, don't be an asshole. I don't want to see you get hurt and I will definitely kill anybody who does.

His nod had been easily read by the woman as; I know imouto, we just can't risk that right now. It'll be okay.

Sasuke's attention was drawn elsewhere during this silent discussion. A noise had alerted him to someone's presence. Which wouldn't have been so strange if only it was on the floor. He'd heard it on the ceiling. His head flicked up and there it was. A person crouched on the ceiling using chakra to remain in place. Sasuke put one foot up on the table and both Krys and Gaara scowled. Then he used that foot - enhanced a bit with chakra - to push himself up to roof.

Flying through the air he quickly built up a steady supply of chakra to keep him on the surface of the ceiling. When he landed, he brought his hands up so he could crouch as well. He needed to try and get a look at this person to complete his assessment. It was obviously the same person he and Krys had been seeing. Black cloak, pulled so low you couldn't see their. He ran his eyes over the figure and scowled. The crouch ruined any possible hope for a height or approximate weight.

He pulsed his chakra gently to try and gage the other persons and yelled when the figure's chakra overwhelmed his enough to push him off the ceiling.

Free-falling was a very different sensation then flying. Flying was controlled, tempered, and oddly freeing. Free-falling was terrifying, uncontrollable and heart-stopping. Getting up to the ceiling had been easy, one chakra-pumped push. Now the ground was rushing up to meet him much faster then he'd ever wanted. The ceiling was roughly 7 stories up, and Sasuke was picking up speed rapidly. Another yell tore it's way out of his throat as he desperately tossed out his chakra to try and grab anything.

He could see Gaara's sand hurrying up to try and catch him, but at the speed he was going the sand was going to hurt. Falling 40 feet, makes you think your hitting concrete flat on your back. Falling 80 and you've gained too much speed; no matter what you hit, you die. There's roughly 10 feet per story and Sasuke guessed he'd already fell 35ft. His mind already calculated how many stories he'd fell and came out with 3.5 stories. Enough to seriously damage him if he connected with anything. The sand was going to hurt. He began trying to cocoon himself in his chakra to prevent the inevitable.

"Gaara catch him!" Krys was screaming at the Kazekage. Gaara might've replied but Sasuke didn't hear it. He was quite busy saying his prayers. What kind of chakra to overpower his own? And enough to knock him off a ceiling. He cursed himself. To be killed by accident, the idea even made his ego growl.

A hand grabbed his and he looked up into a face. The cloak was knocked back and the face revealed. Pulsating with chakra though, so Sasuke knew it was false, he frowned however; the chakra felt like it was just being pulsed, not actually used. But no one can change their face without using chakra. This wasn't actually the figure's face, but it clearly was something to use to find him. Sasuke took a mental snapshot of the face, not even bothering to assess it.

He used this person as a lifeline and felt his shoulder pop into dislocation when the wire the figure was dangling from snapped rigid. The figure - for now man - looked between the wire and Sasuke, then behind Sasuke to gage the distance to the sand or ground Sasuke wasn't was hanging by an hand he couldn't use to pull himself up and he seriously doubted the figure could either, it was already stretched between the wire wrapped tightly around one arm and leg, the guy was practically star-fished in the air. They both locked eyes and Sasuke saw the same barely controlled horror in the other man's eyes.

"Let go, he'll catch me." The last Uchiha could guess that the wire wasn't going to support them both very long. Now that he'd lost all momentum the sand wouldn't hurt. The figure scowled for a second before letting go and spinning out of the wire enough to free hisand disappear into mist. Sasuke began falling for a second before Gaara's sand wrapped around him. He was lowered to the ground and dimly aware he was shaking.

Krys hugged him. Jumping from her place at Gaara's side to wrap her arms around Sasuke's neck. He put his arm around her waist and turned grateful onyx eyes on his boss.

"Thank you." He mouthed. Gaara nodded slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke, for once, understood the silent expression, Gaara was trying to convey how glad he was Sasuke was okay and that Sasuke was welcome. Sasuke smiled slightly and hugged Krys a little tighter. The girl was shaking almost as much as he was.

Krys was furious with herself, not only had she completely missed the figure on the ceiling, but she hadn't been able to help her partner at all. Watching him flipping through the air, feeling his desperation through the chakra he was exerting had been horrifying. She could feel it all, smell his fear, but do nothing to stop it. If she'd jumped, his momentum would've put them both on the ground fast. Then two of Gaara's most competent guards would be out of commission.

Besides barking orders at Gaara, she'd been completely useless and it ate at her pride. She didn't like that Sasuke had to constantly throw himself into the line of danger and Krys could only stand by and wait. It irked her, but she felt a little to cozy in the worried wife role. The worried wife who waits at home for her man to come home each day, praying that he does so.

"We're finding that son-of-a-bitch and getting rid of him. I've had enough." She growled into Sasuke's shirt. She gripped his tie and pulled him downwards and whispered in his ear. "When we find the guy, I'm killing him."

Sasuke nodded, but he couldn't help hesitating. That 'guy' had saved his life. A measure of gratitude had been earned, regardless of whether or not Sasuke had wanted it. He buried his face in Krys' shoulder for a second, before realizing he was clinging to Krys and letting go.

"In light of this new developpement, perhaps I should cancel my day?" Gaara offered queitly and Sasuke nodded.

"That's the best idea as of late."


	7. As We Break Apart

**A/N**: So this chapter is when things really start heating up and from here on out, things are going to be getting big! I'm so thrilled, positively chuffed to bits. And I figured that if I didn't update fast, a friend of mine would rip my head off **tosses a look at said friend** -_- I need to pick less violent friends...

As well, I didn't spell check this properly, more of a quick scan and post thing, because I wanted to just put this up. So if there is mistakes, I'm sorry, if you review point them out and I'll fix them as I go.

Without further ado,

* * *

Temari laughed and threw a strawberry at her Nara's head. He snickered and caught it before popping it into his mouth. "Delicious, my wonderfully domestic goddess." Temari gave him an appalled look.

"Domestic goddess!"

"Battle hardened, devilishly gorgeous, extremely troublesome woman?" Shika offered in an attempt to appease her. Temari passed him the next strawberry and he know he'd done well for half-awake. Her hand stroked through his hair, currently laying flat on his head it would go up later when he and she went out for lunch, but in the meantime she took her time curling her fingers into the base of his skull as she nimbly balanced over his lap.

"Troublesome. Now that's a word that almost become an old friend." She kissed his nose before going back to her cooking and laughing at his sigh. Shika leaned forward to thump his forehead onto the granite counter theatrically. Temari scuffed his hair affectionately before slicing the strawberries onto her fluffy, golden pancakes. With a quick flick of her wrist, she had a dollop of whipped cream on each one.

"Are you done yet?" He murmured from the crook of his own elbow. Temari kissed his half up-turned cheek and nodded.

"Done, and beautiful might I add. These are gorgeous pancakes. Smell." She passed plate under his nose and he took a deep breath. "And I even added -"

"A little butter on my behalf." He took a finger of whipped cream and sucked it off. "Remind me again, how did I end up with such an amazing woman for a wife."

Temari seemed to consider the question then stuck up her forefinger like she'd just remembered. "You were the only guy I ever dated that my brothers didn't manage to terrify until they ran for their lives. By the way did I ever congratulate you? It truly was a feat of enormous caliber." She passed him a plate, took her own and settled at the kitchen's island.

Lured by the smell of food, Kankuro came out of his room. In one hand he held his cell phone, his thumb flowing over the keys quickly regardless of his sleepy demeanor. His elder sister snickered at him. "Lemme guess, Devon?"

"She hates it when I sleep in, apparently it makes me grouchy." Shika started snickering as soon as the sentence was finished.

"Marry that girl." Temari deadpanned.

The door flew open and yelling reached them in seconds. "You are not hearing me, I did not say for you to hunt either of them down I said for you sit down and shut up."

"And _you're not hearing me!_" A voice yelled back, it took the trio a second to identify the two voices, but the yelling voice was easier. Krys was pissed and when she was pissed, she got loud.

The first voice was harder, but they got it. Gaara got quieter when he was mad and to make sure you understand every single word, he wouldn't use contractions any more. "Please stop yelling, Sir, think for a second about this." Sasuke sounded agitated as he tried to intervene. The first sight of the three that the elder siblings and Shika was treated to was simple.

Gaara had grabbed Sasuke by the shirt and had thrown him into the dining room - probably not even caring that his family was in there - then walked in himself. "Do not tell me to stop and think, I have been in this game too long and I am _not _the one yelling." Gaara turned back to Krys with a snarl in his voice. "I am listening to you, you want to solve this problem the same way we used to solve every problem, with death. That is not the way we do things now, especially with our current location." He turned back to Sasuke and gestured harshly. "Explain it, now."

Sasuke almost looked like a deer in the headlights. "Explain what Sir?" He looked almost shocked at his own meekness. Temari couldn't stop the smirk, her little brother might not look like much, but he could inspire many feelings and fear was certainly among them. The blond was almost certain that in any other situation Sasuke was fierce enough that he wouldn't have hesitated to shoot the man before him, but Gaara more often then not made his own circumstances.

"Two things Uchiha. Explain to her why she would do well to not kill anyone on this soil and explain to me how the hell did that guy get close enough to knock you off the ceiling and damn near kill you. Start with her. Do it now!" Gaara snapped as he yanked off his tie. Shikamaru had the best reaction time of them all, within seconds he had reached the red head's side and was pulling him to sit down.

"This is the United Nations, they may not have much defenses but they can use any country's army to defend themselves. So if you killed someone here you would be subjected to their brand of justice, so you wouldn't be under Sir's jurisdiction anymore, he couldn't protect you at all." Sasuke paused to breath.

Krys growled and went to yell something at Sasuke before Gaara got back up.

"Shut up." He held up a hand to still her and stepped in front of the Uchiha. "And how did that guy get close enough to do what he did?" Whatever Shika had said seemed to have worked, Gaara seemed almost calm.

"It was my mistake. I didn't even stop to think about the threat this man could pose to me up there. I was busy thinking about doing my job and protecting you. I tried to test the other person's chakra control and they overwhelmed me. It destroyed my own stores and knocked me off the roof." That was about when Temari noticed that Sasuke was cradling one arm defensively.

He looked irritated a clear sign that this mark, that Gaara himself, was a lot harder then he'd originally reasoned it to be and now he was trying to figure out how to handle things. Temari frowned, she had no idea what guy they were talking about or what he'd done to Sasuke, but right about then she felt an urge she hadn't had before, the urge to Mom someone. Sasuke was in pain and trying to hide it so he could remain stoic and professional, which really made her want to smack her little brother upside the head for not noticing.

"Everyone sit, please." She walked over and pushed Gaara and Krys into chairs with a gentle hand before turning to Sasuke. "What happened to your arm?"

Sasuke hissed when her probing fingers found where his shoulder had popped. "Dislocated when I fell, didn't have time to fix it. I'll be fine." Sasuke shrugged meaninglessly.

"Let me fix it..." The room's bell ran and Temari continued, "as soon as I answer the door." While she walked away, Krys starting growling at Gaara and Sasuke recommenced attempting to keep them both from killing each other. Temari sighed softly, those two were worse then she and Kankuro would ever be. They may act like siblings, but they argue like cats and dogs.

She opened the door and sighed. "Now, Devon, is possibly the very worst time for you to show up." Devon looked worried for a moment then Kankuro waved and she looked relieved.

"Kankuro said I could come." Devon frowned, "he just texted me, saying that there's a delicious breakfast but that he would like it if I come and rescue him from the fight about to break out. So can I?" When Temari nodded she strolled in, the blue fabric of her summer dress flowing out around her and her little black flats tapping softly against the floor. Devon yelped in surprise when Krys rounded on her with a snarl.

"What are you doing here, girl? You are not one of the family." Krys' eyes were wild and feral, Devon - much to her credit - stepped up to bark back.

"Bite me, neither are you! Kankuro told me, you've been gone! Things have changed and don't even think about dragging me into your little mental issues _bitch_!" Kankuro sprung to his feet at the same time as every man in the room. The two women glared each other down for a while.

Internally Devon would've jumped for joy. She was happily frolicking in a field of perfection, this could not have worked out better if she'd planned it. It had been a total accident to knock Sasuke off the roof, and a amateurs mistake to save his life, but instead it worked out for the best. They were fighting! All of them were turning on one another, and it was beautiful. Kankuro took her by the waist and pulled her into his chest.

"Devon, darling, come with me. This isn't your fight." Devon rested a hand on his bicep and patted it softly. She murmured for him to give a moment before she left. "Dev please." He sighed when she shook her head to stop him. Very softly she walked to Krys and murmured to her.

"You're right, I'm not your family, but I am his girlfriend and that makes me closer then you. Who are you anyway, some ex-convict that Gaara picked up like a stray dog, you have no right to yell at me. So let me make this clear, next time you think you have claim to get in my face, remember that I'm the one with the potential to marry into this family." Devon turned away from Krys, ignoring the chest deep growls and took Kankuro's hand before walking into Kankuro's bedroom.

Krys was livid. She turned back to Gaara with a curse. "That girl gives me a bad feeling."

"That would be because you don't like her." He sighed softly and let Temari grip his sleeve nervously. Absently he moved his free hand to hold hers. "I don't know why, she's perfectly fine. Now will you please calm down and listen to me, if only for a minute?"

Krys took a deep breath and doused the fires of her own rage. This was her brother and alpha, no matter what that woman said, and she could listen to him. "So long as you promise to listen to me." Gaara nodded silently.

"Come Temari, we should leave." Temari forced a quiet promise from Gaara to fix Sasuke's arm before allowing Shikamaru to take his love by the arm and guide her to their own bedroom, on one arm he balanced two plates from the kitchen and managed to pull a snicker from Temari by offering her one.

"Sasuke, it's terrible of me to ask, but can you act as referee if we start getting out of hand?" Gaara tugged off his coat and tossed it onto the couch as he spoke. The raven threw up his hand up in a 'why not' gesture before sitting in one of the chairs. "I'll begin. The old styles are gone now, a new era is in and you have to adapt fast if you wish to remain out of prison. This includes not killing anyone."

Sasuke took a breath and groaned when his shoulder was shifted slightly, still resting out of place. In the back of his mind though, he couldn't help but think that he would much rather go through this minor pain, then have someone peeling him off the General Assembly floor.

"Gaara, this man is a bigger threat then we realized and we need to neutralize it before you're the one getting knocked off ceilings. We cannot run the chance that next time something happens, you might die and if that happens then all your efforts for peace will have been for naught."

The discussion continued neutrally for a while thanks to Sasuke's quiet admonishments when one of them started getting more vicious in their comments. Krys' temper flared up marginally when Devon walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Gaara hissed for Krys to stay seated but the woman ignored him and stood to lean on the counter nearest Devon.

"You know-"

"Don't start with me." Devon took her glass down and dropped a few ice cubes into it.

"You know, I was just doing my job by asking you why you were here since you aren't family. But then you took it personally and calling someone a bitch isn't very nice, especially someone like me." Devon's lips tightened into a scowl and she opened the fridge to pour filtered water instead of tap. "So you must using Kankuro right? I mean whores do that to get what they want."

Much to Gaara and Sasuke's astonishment when Krys addressed the gentle looking woman too harshly for her liking, Devon turned around and threw the water in her face with a exclamation of rage.

Krys punched her once before Sasuke grabbed onto her. Gaara grabbed Devon and separated the two yelling women. Devon called out insults and Krys countered them over Gaara's shoulder. Devon sniffled once as Sasuke dragged Krys into the nearest bathroom, once the door closed Devon started crying.

"Let me go now please." Devon struggled weakly against the red head's grip. He'd banded one arm around her waist to keep her in place and held both her wrists in one hand to prevent her from throwing a punch to match. "She's gone and I promised your brother I was just getting water."

Gaara lifted her onto the counter and whistled, loud and high for a second, then low and harsh for another. Kankuro came out in a hurry and growled at the blossoming bruise on Devon's cheek. "That- - Gaara, fucking control her." Kankuro cupped his girlfriend's cheeks, wiping tears off with his thumbs. "I'm sorry Dev, so sorry. I knew I should have come with you."

Devon managed a slightly teary giggle. "Teach me travel without protection." She winked at him and Kankuro laughed out loud. Gaara passed his brother an ice packet and made for the bathroom that held his two guards.

He paused outside the door and calmed himself down. What the hell had gotten Krys so riled about Devon? She'd walked into the room and Krys had gone off on her. Must be an instinct, he frowned for a second and took a deep breath before opening the door. Sasuke was sitting on the floor with his feet propped up against the counter, Krys sat on the counter quietly.

Krys' half soaked shirt was hanging over the shower to dry and she was wearing Sasuke's instead. The few ice cubes that managed to make it into Krys' shirt were melting in the sink and she was quietly toweling off her hair.

"Apparently, I don't deserve to be spoken to." Sasuke shrugged from the floor. Gaara nodded then lifted Krys off the counter and put her down in front of him.

"Are you going to talk to me anytime today? Reasonably I mean, not to just yell?" He took the towel quietly, smiling when Krys just relinquished it to him. With a brief and small smile on his face he took to drying off the parts of her hair that his guard never failed to miss. Krys sighed almost imperceptibly.

Internally there was quite a battle raging on, Krys' chakra was itching to knock out her friends and rip that girl apart. Gaara was trying his best to be calming and happy, but Krys could feel his turmoil. He didn't know what to do, what to say and it was fueling her rage. He was the alpha, he was supposed to know what to do!

She hated herself for doing it but she tried to change the subject, "I must have lost some weight. You lifted me off the counter like it was nothing."

Gaara chuckled softly and murmured, "You are smaller. Equally fierce, but just a bit smaller. That shirt could swallow you whole. By the way, nice punch, you've successfully turned the right side of Devon's face black. Can I ask what provoked that?"

Krys frowned up at him for a second, generally when she tries to change topic, he drops what they were talking about and changes with her. What the hell was up with that girl that he was defending her. "She had it coming, you know me, when I'm pissed and someone challenges me, I just lose it! Something about her just makes me so angry, I don't know what it is."

Gaara hummed for a second and rubbed a section of hair between his hands to dry it. "And me? Why haven't I gotten a good left hook then, I've been arguing with you every step of the way. Or Sasuke perhaps - for pulling you away from her?"

"Something is off with her! Can't you feel it?" She batted his hands away and put the towel on the counter. "She's playing every one of us like we're children." Azure eyes met glittering yellow ones - a sign that Krys was getting out of hand, just before Krys huffed and jumped back onto the counter. Gaara sighed and moved to stand in front of her, placing a hand on either side of her to hold himself up and her in place.

At this angle, if he leaned forward 6 inches he could put their foreheads together. When they were kids and they argued that's what he did, he'd put their heads together and remind her that they shouldn't fight because 'two heads are definitely better then one. And what would I ever do without you?'

Krys leaned away from him and put her back to the mirror as she crossed her arms. "She's being too friendly with everyone! And she greeted an ex-con like I was nothing but a pup that just opened its eyes for the first time. Normally someone is nervous to meet an ex-con. She wasn't! She's just using Kankuro to get whatever she wants!"

Gaara almost sighed heavily, just like old times, only Krys could make his blood boil like this. "Please calm down, you - you are acting almost insane." He ignored the sign that Krys had all but lost her temper. He also ignored how Sasuke flinched just a tad at the mention of the word insanity.

Just beneath her upper lips if you looked close enough you could see the fangs. There was, after all, a reason that they had always said Krys had two chakras. Hers and the Beast chakra. When she was angry, it was like she wasn't human, just a wolf, just an animal bent on harm.

"Maybe I am, but I'm the one that keeps getting the feeling that something going to happen and she's the cause of it. But I'm just the dumb Beast trusting my instincts." She ripped Sasuke's shirt over her head and threw it at him before shoving Gaara back a step and snatching hers down off the shower. "So, we'll go on with life, while I play the overprotective young sister." She stormed past and moved to throw the door open.

Gaara's hand pressed against the door and held it closed as he leaned over. Under his breath he whispered in her ear. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but as soon as you leave this room Krys I want you to calmly walk to your room and stay there until you learn to hold your tongue. If you're going to act like this, then I'll treat you exactly as I should. Go to your room and chill the hell out."

With that, he moved back a step and moved his hand to let her leave.

Krys turned her head to look at him, then looked away just as fast. "As you wish, Kazekage-dono." Very quietly Krys tried to hide the pain. How could he not trust her? He didn't believe her at all! She opened the door and murmured almost to herself, "I guess prison really does change everything."

As she walked out Gaara made to respond but was stopped by Sasuke's not-so-loose grip on his ankle. "If you follow her right now, I think she'd kill you."

Gaara took a deep breath, closed his eyes to calm down then turned and shifted his attentions to the promise he'd made to his sister. "Now, to deal with that arm of yours."

And regardless of the fact that Sasuke knew exactly what was happening ( Krys was tearing herself apart with pain and anger and Gaara was doing the same with guilt ) Sasuke allowed his mark to pop his shoulder back into place and rode through the pain.

After all, what was one more agony in comparison to all the others in his life?


End file.
